Recovering from a Mastectomy: Do You Have Your A Team?

Are you preparing for your mastectomy? There are many things we can do as the day approaches, but one of the most important is to have your “A” team ready to jump into action as soon as you are done.

As you prepare for your mastectomy, it’s important to think about how you’ll take care of yourself during your recovery. One way to do this is to assemble your “A-team” – a group of friends, family, and other trusted individuals who can provide both practical and emotional support. Your A-team can help with tasks like light cleaning, laundry, meal prep, errand running, and babysitting.

To ensure that you have the nourishing, easy-to-digest meals you need during your recovery, it’s a good idea to have your A-team pre-make and freeze some meals before your surgery. This way, you’ll have food ready to go when you come home and may not feel like cooking for the first 7-10 days (or as long as you have drain tubes in). Make sure to plan for enough food to feed your family for a couple of weeks, too.

It’s also important to remember that you may not have a big appetite at first, so choose foods that are both nourishing and easy to digest. Your A-team can help you plan these meals and do the prep work in advance. By working together and delegating tasks, you can make the recovery process as smooth and stress-free as possible.

Ideas for Nutritious Recovery Meals

As mentioned above, you will want these meals to be “freezable.” One thing your “A” team can do, is purchase containers where the meals can be frozen. If you don’t have a large freezer, ask if they can be spread around to friends’ freezers and brought over 3-4 at a time.

Soups (these often taste wonderful after surgery) –

Butternut squash, chicken noodles, lentil, leek, and potato soup.

Stews –

These can be vegan or with meat in them. You will need protein in the diet after your mastectomy for healing so don’t skimp on protein.

Casseroles –

The variety is endless but ask that they not be loaded with canned soups and cheeses (very common.) You want food that is nourishing and easy to digest.

Fish –

Frozen fish can be pulled out and broiled or grilled. For sides a bagged salad or steamed veggie is easy. Have on hand some pre-cooked grains such as Seeds of Change packages that are organic and easy to heat up.

Chicken –

Many chicken dishes can be cooked and frozen as long as they have some moisture to them. Easy sides are pasta and frozen veggies.

Beef –

Ground beef holds up well in a sauce such as chili or spaghetti sauce. Who doesn’t love spaghetti? The kids or hubby can make this dinner fast!

Smoothie packets –

These are little zip-lock bags filled with fruit and veggies that can be thrown into a blender with a base of almond or coconut milk. Blueberries, raspberries, bananas, avocado pieces, spinach, and strawberries can all be in a one-quart baggie and thrown in the freezer.

Organic Oatmeal –

Oatmeal can be cooked and frozen as well. All you need to do is microwave then add some fruit, nuts, and milk of your choice for an “instant” oatmeal that is far better for you than the packaged ones. To take it up a notch, use steel-cut oats.

Where to get Recipe Ideas

One of my favorite apps is “All Recipes.” You can type any idea from above and get lots of recipes. You will often see comments from folks who have modified the recipe to make it even better.

Another app I love is “Paprika Recipe Manager.” You do have to pay for this if you want it on your computer, but it allows you to add recipes to it easily. On the app, you can open a browser and download any recipe from Pinterest, All recipes, Cooking light website, etc. You then have the recipe on your phone and you can share it with other users.

Remember, when you get home you want to nourish your body so it can heal. Having food ready to eat and prepared by loving hands is the first step in healing!